Working all year round for Brentwood West

Parking charges to go down under the Accord Administration!

With the Lib Dems, I can’t remember a time when we weren’t fighting to make parking fees more reasonable! Now we have done it – and the Tories voted AGAINST our plans!

We pulled this off by being fair – we introduced an overnight parking charge of £2 to capitalise on the TOWIE visitors. This has yielded around £60,000 in income which has meant we can do the following:

Reduce the all day car parking fee from £10.50 to £8.00

Introduce a new Saturday workers fee of £4 in Westbury Road Car Park

Introduce a new £30 weekly charge in the William Hunter Way Car Park

This will take around ten weeks to introduce once it is advertised and consulted upon.

It is unbelievable that the Tories voted against on the basis that we hadn’t reduced it enough, despite them voting for a 117% increase in the one hour charge in 2012 (and that includes current Brentwood West Tory Cllr Will Russell, who’s up for re-election in May).

It’s also interesting to see that another Tory scaremongering activity didn’t come true. Back in 2011, two days before I lost my seat, they put out a leaflet in Brentwood West saying that, should a night time charge be introduced then people would be forced in to the side streets to park and, therefore, we would all be wading around in “rivers of vomit”. Yes, they put that on a leaflet and people believed it! So, watch what they say when it comes to May’s elections! It turns out not to be the case, so just as well no one opened up a Wellies Shop in anticipation.

Here are just some of my latest reports in Kings Chase, Kings Road, Ashford Avenue and Fairfield Road. In addition, I have reported the High Street potholes near Westbury Road’s junction and The Avenue (not in Brentwood West but oft used by us all):

John Newberry and I have been around the ward this past couple of days and have just about managed not to fall down a crater.

Amongst some of the potholes we have reported:

In Kings Chase, having been reported as one single pothole by me a year ago, there are now about six craters – http://www.fixmystreet.com/report/387801

In Kings Road, a small defect is now a massive defect.

In Selwood Road, about five have been reported

In High Street, near Westbury Road, the ones that got “patched up” last year have, surprise surprise, come back again. And they’ve had baby potholes too!

I know there are hundreds, but we are just getting routinely ignored.

I have also reported The Avenue to Cllr David Kendall. It’s not on the ward but it is so dangerous – it is crater-to-crater from Ingrave Road to Eagle Way and I know this is a route many parents use to go from Warley to Ingrave Johnstone School in the morning so, it is a problem for my residents. This is a Priority One route so it should be repaired – especially as I know of two accidents down there already.

So, the pothole at the apex of Sir Francis Way, Tower Hill and Weald Road DID make it on to national TV! You can watch the clip here!

Isn’t it odd, that of all the potholes in Brentwood they managed to fill this one in – just before the original planned air date in November? It didn’t actually air until 17th December 2013.

Even though the attraction had to close when Essex County Council repaired it (badly) with a lump of tarmac rather than putting the bricks back, you can revisit it here on its Facebook page. It is safe, for now, but the workmanship is questionable at best!

This was the scene at the Brentwood tourist attraction today. Despite those lovely bricks of character having been carefully preserved at the side of the road, Essex County Council came along and just tipped a dollop of tarmac in the pothole.

I am very excited about the prospect of John joining me as councillor for Brentwood West next year and, those of you that have met him so far will appreciate his integrity and community spirit. Here’s why I am s delighted:

About John Newberry

John, a grandfather, is a former Brentwood Police Sergeant, having spent 14 years stationed at Brentwood before his retirement here in 2000. It’s here at Brentwood that he got the nickname “Newbers”!

John now has his own counselling practice.

He also worked for two years with Essex County Council on setting up successful projects in relation to student behaviour on school transport.

He also ran a Home & Garden maintenance business in Brentwood.

John is a committed Christian and has worked with young children helping them in becoming young ambassadors for their community.

He ran a number of marathons for animal charities in his younger days (pictured: John running the London Marathon for the PDSA)!

Of his selection as Brentwood West candidate, John said:

“I really feel it is like coming home – I thoroughly enjoyed working in the ward at Brentwood Police Station in London Road and living in La Plata Grove.

“As your borough councillor I would be able to bring all my skills together and ensure that all residents of Brentwood West are listened to regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, beliefs – everyone needs to be listened to and I do not feel that the Conservatives are doing this.

“I am passionate about working with and supporting my local community.

“I also really look forward to working with two hardworking councillors – borough councillor Karen Chilvers and county councillor David Kendall. Brentwood West is the most heavily populated ward in Brentwood and, Karen in particular, could do with some help and support with the huge caseload. I can bring some new skills on community building, tackling anti-social behaviour and building an even better place to live.”

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